Previews

Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi

The DBZ cast wants to get high -- in a non-Cypress Hill sort of way. The newest Budokai will be much more vertical.

Spiffy:

New perspective should bring some originality; character models are astounding; roster is over 60 deep.

Iffy:

Making us play DBZ Sagas; how will split-screen multiplayer work?

Label Dragon Ball Z Sagas a failed experiment, turn, and walk away. Atari is back to the fighting beat y'all. I know that sound is sweet y'all. Numbers have gone by the wayside, and the next title is called Tenkaichi instead. From my extremely limited knowledge of Japanese, that means loosely "the best in the world." While that may be some hyperbole, most gamers would be happy if this game is "the best in the series."

This isn't merely another small update to the polygonal fighter you know and love, mind you. In fact, Tenkaichi has a new developer: Spike, best known for the stellar Fire Pro Wrestling series. The new shift shows, as the game looks and plays differently than what you're used to.

To start off with, it's not so much of a side-view game anymore. The perspective is closer to third-person -- think Armored Core or Zone of the Enders. Also resembling those games, flying is an even bigger part of the Tenkaichi's action than in the past, and you'll often see battles remain in midair for the duration. The levels contain a lot more real estate as a result, allowing much more freedom of movement.

Thus, the mechanics are a little different. Matches only last one round, but the life bar is much longer in comparison. You'll still have all the big moves you're used to -- teleportation, massive combos, etc. Tossing someone into a background mountain or nearby column is much cooler now, as a matter of fact. You even get to fight underwater, which is pretty trippy.

Multiplayer gets a twist with the new view. Now, two-player fights are done via split-screen. I didn't get to see this in action, unfortunately, so I can't comment whether it's a good thing or a hindrance. Since it's a fighting game, it unquestionably has to be decent in player vs. player.